Beyond the Goblin City
by Devil's-Smile
Summary: Sarah has left Jareth defeated. She and Toby have returned safely to the Above. However, the Labyrinth isn't done with them. It demands that Sarah returns, no matter the consequences. I do not own The Labyrinth.
1. Prologue

Prologue

_1986_

Jareth could feel his heart shredding as Sarah rejected his final offer, forbidding him from her life. The Labyrinth had been beaten- and by extension, he, himself had been defeated. He knew that this wasn't the end, but it still hurt. He had offered her everything and she had walked away, unable to understand what he offered.

His love, his power, his kingdom… how could she reject such a thing? How could she leave the Underground?

Because she was too young. She could not understand what she wanted- at least, not yet.

It was a good thing that Jareth was patient. He had already waited hundreds of years for Sarah Williams; he could wait just a bit longer. The Labyrinth was a force all its own, and it would ensure Sarah's safe return to his kingdom. They both wanted the same thing; Sarah as the Queen.

But she had to come back willingly. That might take work on his part, but he was sure that it something he could accomplish. After all, Sarah already loved the Underground- that which she had seen of it, that is. He smiled darkly as the idea came to him. She might not want to come back… but she didn't have a choice if she was _wished_ to him by, say, her little brother…


	2. Apart, But Together

Chapter one: Apart, but Together

The rain was tapping softly on the roof as Toby lay down to sleep. He was trying hard not to worry. His older sister Sarah hadn't come home from work. He'd been living with her ever since his mom and dad had died a few years back. That was back in '98, and it was now 2000. He was almost fifteen, and Sarah actually treated him that way.

His sister was a bit… strange. Strange, but not in a bad way. Toby loved his sister to death. She was kind and sweet and very smart. But she happened to be a little overprotective and very sheltering. She was the literature professor at the local university, and she was damn good at it, mostly because of her love for the written word. She read a different fairytale to him every night, and her collection was endless. On top of being intelligent and gentle, she was also the picture of beauty.

Toby was concerned, though. His sister was always home when he got back from school, and she would have told him if she was staying after. It wasn't as if she hadn't left him home alone before; she just didn't do it often.

He decided that she must've fallen asleep at her desk and he was sure that she was safe. She would be home when he woke up, making pancakes for breakfast, a smile on her red lips, with an apology for not making it home. With that calming thought, the young teen fell asleep, his thoughts serene, and he dreamed of an endless maze and a man laughing as he walked a twisting staircase.

o0o

_A few hours earlier_

Sarah was grading an endless stack of essays and was eager to get home. She had gotten Toby's report card and she had been so pleased, she had decided to take him out for dinner that evening. However, with the rate at which her distracted mind was working, she was going to be very late.

She was worried for her young brother. Ever since her father and stepmother had died, Toby had been very quiet and withdrawn from the world. She couldn't always be there for him, especially with her long hours at the college. She did everything she could for him, and whenever he asked for anything, it was his. She still read to him every night, just like she used to.

Every night, though, she'd look at that red leather book and think of _him_ _. _Her stepmother had sent her to therapy for years so that she'd stop, but she couldn't forget his flashing smile or his mismatched blue and hazel eyes. She just couldn't. After all, he haunted her every dream.

Jareth. The Goblin King. He haunted her memory, her every step, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget. Not him, not the Underground, not the Labyrinth. She had tried to block it from her mind early on, but she quickly realized that she couldn't , despite the fact that the road she desired had long since vanished. He would always be her dream.

She looked up at the clock, startled at the time. By now, Toby would have gone to bed. She put away her pen and her students' papers, picked up her purse, and hurried out to her car. She wanted to leave the memory of that gorgeous otherworldly man behind her.

o0o

Toby woke up sometime during the night and went to his sister's room, just to check if she was home. She was laying on top of the blankets in her nightgown, her white robe tied loosely around her hips, a small red book in her hands. She had fallen asleep, reading, just as always. He tilted his head and frowned. He didn't know this book, he realized.

He moved forward, carefully removing the book from his sleeping sister's hands. It was _the _book. The book that she had hid away when he had asked her to read it to him. The red cover was worn and faded, the golden lettering no longer shiny. _The Labyrinth_, it read. He sat down next to her and opened to a random page. He read the words out loud to Sarah, hoping her dreams would be happy.

"And then the young woman looked at the child, and unable to bear his presence any longer, she said the magic words given to her by her dear Goblin King. 'I wish the goblins would come and take you away. Right now.'"

Toby shook his head and laughed. What a silly book!

His laughter, however, was echoed by multiple squealing voices. Sarah awoke, startled, and looked around. When she saw the book in Toby's hands, she could feel her heart stop, all thoughts fleeing her head.

"Toby!"


	3. The Goblin King

Chapter two: the Goblin King

Then it came. The lights went out, and the laughing got louder. Lightening flashed outside, and there were eyes darting around the room as it became unbelievably quiet. Toby grabbed for his sister, but she was gone, only blankets in her place.

"Sarah? Sarah!" There was a gust of wind as the curtains blew open and a beautiful white owl flew in. It disappeared within the curtains, and then everything fell still. As the curtains settled, in place of the owl stood a tall silvery haired man.. He was dressed like something out of one of Sarah's fairytales, with a loose white shirt, a dark brown leather vest and black leather pants that were tucked into tall riding boots. His hands were sheathed in dark brown gloves, and as he stepped forward, the gold dust cloud around him dissipated. He laughed cruelly," You are just the same as Sarah. Just as ignorant to the power of which you have summoned."

"Where's Sarah? What did you do with my sister?" Toby stood, book in his hands, his legs shaking as he backed up to the closed door.

"My boy, did she really never tell you?" He smiled, revealing predatory teeth. He made a vague swirling gesture and a crystal appeared in his hand. He lifted it higher for Toby to see. "I am the Goblin King, the Protector of the Labyrinth. I have an offer for you. You see this? It's a crystal ball. Nothing more. But if I turn it so…" His hand moved, rolling the crystal over his knuckles.

The crystal lit up slightly, an image taking form within it. It was Sarah, still in her robe, sitting on a round stone seat, her head in her hands. She stood up and looked straight up at him, "Toby!"

Toby moved slightly forward, hand extended to take the crystal, but the image clouded over and disappeared. "Where did you take her?!"

"All in good time. I'd like to make you an offer." The Goblin King tossed the crystal to him, and Toby almost dropped the book in his haste to catch it. He tucked the book into his back pocket, holding the crystal up higher. Jareth smiled as Toby looked into the crystal. The cloudy crystal swirled but did not clear; instead it darkened to black. The Goblin King frowned, "My boy, what are your dreams? What do you desire? I am curious; the crystal has never shown that before."

Toby looked down at the crystal, entranced. Emptiness. He wanted more than anything to leave behind the feeling that he did not belong. He wanted to be free to live and not feel. But… he couldn't do that; He'd forget the love that he felt for his mother and father, for his sister. He really just wanted not to hurt.

"I want… my sister." As soon as he said it, he knew it was the truth, as did the crystal. Sarah reappeared in the crystal, and so did Toby. They were sitting on his bed and she was reading to him. They both looked happy, calm, and whole. He felt lost without Sarah standing next to him, but he knew what to do.

It took Toby a moment to notice how close Jareth had stepped to him until his leather covered hand touched the crystal, running his fingers lightly over I, as if caressing the image. "That which you desire… to be loved. You and I are not so different. Here's the offer, Toby. Let me have Sarah, and I will create for you the greatest kind of love. How about her?" The image flickered and showed him his beautiful, fiery-haired best friend; Kiera. He had been in love with her for five years, always too afraid to tell her. He wanted nothing more than to be by her side forever. But Toby shook his head, his messy blonde hair shifting. "No. I want my sister back."

"I am offering you your dreams, my boy." He plucked the crystal from Toby's hands, and as the image faded, he spun it on his fingertip. "You want to give this up?"

"No, but I can do that by myself. I want my sister back, now." Toby felt his courage soar and knew that he was making the right choice. His dreams would be useless- worthless- without Sarah there. He straightened his back and stared down the most powerful being he had ever met.

"Bring her back now."

So, I'd like to apologize for the current lack of my Sarah & Jareth pairing, but I promise you its coming! I'd also like to note that I made a slight change to the last chapter: I added a few sentences to Sarah's thought line. Sorry! I'd really appreciate a few more reviews, and if anybody has any ideas, I'm always open ears! ^^


	4. It Doesn't Look That Far

Chapter three: It Doesn't Look That Far

Living in the Underground gave Jareth keen senses and an inability to be surprised by anybody but Sarah; and, apparently, her younger brother Toby. Just as terribly stubborn as Sarah was, Toby seemed determined to get his sister back

"What's said is said; I cannot bring her back." Jareth smiled and walked to the window. He waved his hand in yet another vague gesture; this one obviously meant for Toby to follow him. Toby definitely did not expect what happened next. "Your sister is in my castle, beyond the goblin city. If you want her back, you must run the Labyrinth."

Looking out the window revealed to him a beautiful stone labyrinth that seemed to radiate magic, and beyond that, a castle that seemed to grow straight out of the mountain. He turned to ask the Goblin King about it, and was shocked to see that his room was gone. They were standing on a hill next to the tallest, spiraling tree he had ever seen. There was an elegant antique clock hanging on its trunk- no, it was growing from its trunk. Then Toby noticed the numbers and frowned; the clock went to _thirteen._

"Turn back, Toby. Forget about Sarah while you still can." Jareth stepped closer and it was then that the boy looked out to the castle.

"I will never turn back. It doesn't look that far."

"Very well. You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your sister becomes mine forever." Toby watched as he faded away in a cloud of gold dust, leaving the boy alone to find the entrance. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the small red book, a smile on his face.

"Sarah… I'm coming."


	5. You Have No Power Over Me

Chapter four: You Have No Power Over Me

As Sarah wiped tears from her eyes, she vowed to herself (and anyone within hearing range) that Jareth was going to pay.

"You coward! You have no power over me! Let me go, or I swear I will make your life a living hell!" Sarah banged her fists against the stone walls of her doorless prison. Now that her fear for Toby and her denial of the situation had dissipated, she was absolutely furious. She wanted to strangle Jareth with his beautiful silver hair, watch as the life faded from his mismatched eyes.

But she also wanted to feel those soft leather gloves on her skin, those wonderfully cruel lips against hers as he kissed her and—

Sarah shook her head abruptly. She certainly did _not _want to feel any of that. Being back in the Underground, she decided, must not be good for her mind, because she was starting to think the craziest things. Her fury returned full force, and she hit the wall once again. "Jareth, get your ass in here, now!"

"My girl, how you've grown. Still beautiful, stubborn, and absolutely ignorant! Now to whom do I owe the pleasure of you knowing my name?" Sarah spun around, placing her back to the wall, to find Jareth lounging in his throne (Which, she also registered, had appeared out of nowhere). He had thrown one foot up onto the arm, and his back was placed to the opposite one. He looked just as unbearably sexy and devious as she remembered him to be.

"That doesn't matter." She crossed her arms defiantly, but on the inside she felt shaken by how her body was reacting to his presence. Her skin felt hot all over, and she longed to touch him, to weave her hands through his blue threaded hair, to memorize his face with her fingertips, to kiss him until neither could breathe. _What is going on with me?_

"That was not a request, Sarah, darling."

"Send me home."

"You are not in a position to be making requests of me, my girl." Jareth smiled devilishly, his sharp teeth making Sarah's stomach flutter in a good way, the wrong way.

"If you rememberly correctly, I think that YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME."

In a flash, Sarah was pinned to the stone wall, a hand around her throat, another in her hair. There was a spark of fury in Jareth's eyes, and she suddenly remembered why she shouldn't want him.

"You are _**wrong**_. You wre wished away to me, so I'm not so sorry to tell you that I _**do,**_ indeed, have power over you, you precious thing. And I intend to use it; as a start, tell me who told you my name, although I'm fairly certain I already know who I have to thank."

Sarah felt his hand relax slightly so that she could speak, but she was too busy trying to breathe. "Ho-h…" She coughed, her throat on fire.

"Louder!" Jareth smirked, definently enjoying the fear that he saw in her eyes.

"When you… talking… Hoggle…" Sarah gasped in pain. The hands that held her released as Jareth stepped back. Sarah fell to her knees, her hand on her neck as she coughed.

"Thank you, Sarah. That wasn't so hard, now was it? I'll make sure Higgle recieves his due."

"No. I am not a helpless thirteen year old girl anymore, Toby did not address the words to me—Hell, he didn't even say them right! Now **SEND ME HOME**." She stood up on shaking legs, leaning against the wall for balance.

"What's said is said. Toby must run the Labyrinth, and you must remain here as my prisioner. Unless…" Moving with anoter burst of inhuman speed, He had her back up against the wall, her wrists wrapped in his hand above her head. She yanked on her wrists with an aggravated huff, but he was far stronger than she and she could not break away. He inclined his head so that his forhead pressed against hers, whispering in that obscenely sexy voice, "Unless you'd like to spend your time here in a different way. I've seen your dreams,Sarah, and you may deny it all you want, but you_ want _me."

Sarah felt a wave of lust wash over her and she had to remember how to breathe. She kept face, however, and glarred up at him, trying to muster as much hate and loathing into it as she could. "_What _are you talking about?"

"Would you prefer if I show you?" He lifted his free hand to show her one of those wonderous/horrible crystals. The image within was one of her most recent 'Jareth dreams'. She felt her face heat up at the image of her straddling him, his face hidden in his hair, hers clearly marked with ecstasy. His hands, his lips, his teeth were everywhere on her—

Sarah lowered her eyes as Jareth laughed. _Why does his laugh have to make me shiver?! It's not fair!_ She was angry, but absolutely dumbstruck. He tossed the crystal into the air and grabbed her chin, forcing her eyes back to his.

"Well, Sarah? Would you like to live out this fantasy of yours?" His eyes were dark from lust as he smiled down at her. Jareth had pressed himself completely against her, and she could feel every inch of his slender, hard body. Hard being the key word. And while she was having an internal war with her emotions, Jareth was having a hard time restraining himself from kissing her…


	6. A Precious Thing

Chapter Five: A Precious Thing

After her moment of dumbstruck anger had passed, Sarah finally used her head—literally. She drew her head back to the wall and slammed it forward against Jareth's, catching him off guard. The Goblin King thought that he couldn't be surprised? Well, Sarah had a few things still left up her sleeve.

As Jareth stumbled back slightly, Sarah swung her right fist, connecting solidly with his jaw line. "Tell me Jareth, do you still spy on me? If you did, you would know that for my twenty-fifth birthday, I took kickboxing." She took her stance, ready for his almighty retaliation.

So she was absolutely surprised when he gave a whole hearted laugh instead. He rubbed his jaw and flashed that ever-present sexy smile. "_That _is the Sarah that ran my Labyrinth!" Jareth planted his hands firmly on either side of the wall next to her head. "I've been waiting for that."

Sarah opened her mouth to give some snarky, rude comment (One that she could not for the life of her remember later) but she did not get that chance as Jareth crushed his lips to hers. All of the built up anger dissolved at the touch of his lips. A hand wrapped itself in her thick black hair, another grasped the small of her back. When Jareth pressed himself closer to her, however, she snapped back into reality. She pulled away to speak, but he took her lips back, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Her knees gave out and she collapsed against him, which only made the Goblin King that much more eager.

He lifted her up into her arms, wrapping her legs around his hips as her pressed her back to the stone wall. He finally broke the kiss to trail his lips over the heated skin of her neck. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, and she could see that he was still impossibly calm. "My little girl… you're not so little anymore."

He set her down and she sank to her knees, shaking all over. He looked down at her, a smirk on his face. She was panting, and it pleased him to know that he could affect her this way, cause so much desire to stir in her. But, for the moment anyway, he needed to leave. If he didn't, then he feared he would take her on the spot, and then she would never forgive him. He needed Sarah to come to _him_. "Do not forget, my girl, that you are mine."

Jareth disappeared in his usual cloud of gold dust, leaving Sarah alone. She felt her anger return tenfold at his sudden departure, and as she stood on shaky legs, she screamed to the once again empty room. "Oh, sure! You can just— "She waved her hands in a vague 'do some magic' gesture "_Sparkle_ your way out, you coward, but _I_ can't!"

She turned in a circle, and then placed her back to the wall. Something on the other side of the previously empty room caught her eye. She pulled her robe tighter around her as she walked over to what she could now see was a door handle, attached, even, to a door. There was something written across the door at eye level:

_"Make yourself at home."_

_Well hell,_ She thought. _What's behind door number one?_ She carefully turned the knob, almost surprised when nothing jumped out at her. Instead, she found herself in a beautiful bedroom. There were a few chairs and a couch around a wooden coffee table next to the biggest stone fireplace that Sarah had ever seen. The black walls had tapestries hanging from them, some with magical creatures engaged in battles, some of beautiful banquets and masquerades. One in particular caught her eye; it was her and Jareth in their masquerade outfits from her dream (or what she had thought was a dream), dancing gracefully together. She felt a tear slip down her face as she turned away.

She could remember the feeling of being in his arms. She had never felt as loved or as protected since that night.

She looked up and was faced with possibly the largest bed in existence. It was covered with black glittery sheets and had dozens of silver pillows tossed on it. It was raised as if on a platform by three steps.

That was when she realized that she was in _Jareth's _bedroom.

_Dear God, I'm Screwed._

Author's note:

I'm super happy with how many reviews I've already gotten, and with how many people are reading this. I just wanted to give a quick thank you and explain a few things. Most days, I will post a chapter. On Fridays, I will always post two chapters to make up for the fact that I don't post on the weekends.

I apologize for this, but I promise it's worth it! It gives me time to reread and rewrite everything and make it that much better. Thank you for being patient, and thank you for reading!

The next few chapters I am intending to direct to Toby, and Then I'll continue to switch back and forth.


	7. Within The Labyrinth

Chapter 6: Within the Labyrinth

"The little man nearly jumped out of his skin—," Toby shook his head and flipped the pages of the book, trying to find the exact scene in which the heroine (who he now recognized as a nameless Sarah) found the entrance to the maze.

_Ah ha! _ "' You get in right there.' Where there had once been only a wall, there was now a grotesquely designed gate. 'You got to ask the right questions if you want to get anywhere in the Labyrinth.'" Placing the book back into his pocket, Toby set off down the hill into the garden. With a brilliant flash of intelligence, he pulled the book back out and searched for the dwarf's name. He flipped the pages until he found the name 'Hoggle'.

With that name on the tip of his tongue, he ran into the garden. It was almost the same scene as in the book; the dwarf Hoggle was walking by the wall, a sprayer in his hands, killing the biting fairies. He was still keeping count, but his number was almost quadruple than the numbers from the book. "Two hundred fifty-three… come here, you… Ha! Two hundred fifty-four…"

Toby walked closer and noticed that he really did look like a small man with his leather cap and vest. "Excuse me… Hoggle, right?"

Hoggle jumped and faced Toby. "Oh… another runner. And I guess you want me to let you into the—wait a minute, how do you know my name?" He examined the boy before hobbling closer. "Hey… you's Sarah's brother, ain't ya?"

"Yeah. My name is Toby."

"Ay, what're ya doin' back in the Labyrinth?"

Toby paused uncertainly before deciding that he really could use his help. "The Goblin King took Sarah… I, uh, I wished her away by accident. He told me that I have to run the Labyrinth in order to get her back."

"YOU WHAT?" Hoggle practically blew up at this, worry for Sarah viving against his anger at Toby. "If Jareth has Sarah then she's in more trouble than ya think!" Hoggle walked up to the wall, and sure enough where there had only been wall, there was now a large gate. As Hoggle walked closer, the doors swung open soundlessly. "Well, come on! We need to get the others so we can save Sarah!"

Toby followed him, hurrying to catch up. "The others? You mean Sir Didymus and Ludo?" As Toby entered the gate, the doors swung shut behind him, once again eerily quiet. "Do you know where they are?"

"No, they come and go. We have to find them, but I can find them easily." Hoggle turned right and kept walking. The path ahead of them was straight, no turns or twists in sight.

"How is this a Labyrinth? There's no turns or twists anywhere?" Toby looked around almost angrily.

"Of course there is. You just can't see them." With that, Hoggle turned and disappeared into the wall. Toby ran up to the point of which the dwarf had vanished and saw the hole that he had gone through. He shook his head and stood silently for a moment. He felt so lost without his sister. He needed her back, and that was the end of it. But…. What if he wasn't strong enough? What if he couldn't make it to the castle in thirteen hours? What would happen then?

He was shocked back into reality when an impatient Hoggle called back to him, "I'm not gonna wait up fer ya!"

With one last thought that nothing was as it seemed in this place, Toby ran down the hall, nervous and scared, but determined to get to Sarah.


	8. Searching For Friends

Chapter Seven: Searching for Friends

Toby and Hoggle continued on through the Labyrinth (with Hoggle advising Toby on which way to go, because, in reality, Jareth would murder him if he helped the boy) until they reached the guarded doors, where they stopped before stepping any closer. They didn't want go in until they were absolutely sure where they were going.

"Which door do you think we should take?" He gestured to two doors, both guarded by a set of shielded guardians. It took Toby a moment to realize that the two doors were _not_ red and blue, but yellow and green. He threw his hands into the air with a frustrated groan.

"The doors aren't the same as ones from the book! Nothing is the same!" Toby grabbed at his hair and pulled on it slightly.

"The book? What book?" Hoggle watched as the boy pulled out a well-thumbed red leather bound book. He opened the book to a page and began to read.

""It's in the rules." Alph's voice came fast and sneering, and at the

same time his eyes shifted uneasily. He was tapping a finger on some

ciphers on his shield, which were presumably the rules. "And I think

I should warn you that one of us always tells the truth, and one of

us always lies. That's a rule, too." His glance flickered at Ralph.

"He always lies.""*

"Where did ya get that?" The dwarf felt slightly panicked; If Jareth realized that Toby had that book, they'd have a serious problem.

"I got it from Sarah's room before she was taken."

"Does Jareth know that you's got that?" He moved a few steps back as Toby put the book back into his pocket. Hoggle began to look around for a crystal or something out of place.

"Who is—"

"Don't say his name!"

"Say who's name?" The voice which Hoggle feared they would hear sounded from behind them in the corridor they had come from. They both spun around, nearly falling down, to face Jareth. The Goblin King stood before them in his dark red studded jacket and his normal tall riding boots. He was wearing the shoulder piece from his armor strapped over it. He stepped forward, his heels clicking against the stone.

"Hello Toby, Higgle." Jareth smiled in the most vicious way that he could, his teeth causing Toby to shiver (Though not in the way that Sarah did, thankfully.) "Come now, dear boy, did you really think I'd let you walk through the Labyrinth if everything was the _same?_ That book will be absolutely useless for you."

"Why?"

"The Labyrinth changes for each and every runner, Toby. You should just give up now. You will never make it to the gates of the Goblin City." He leaned down close to Toby and Toby had a moment of absolute idiocy where the only thing he thought was how ridiculously tall Jareth was.

When he regained his senses, he jerked back. "No. I will get Sarah back."

Jareth sighed, aggravated. He really wished the boy would give up, especially since he had no intention of allowing Sarah to leave again. He tugged at the edge of his gloves, pulling them tighter. "So be it."

Before either Toby or Hoggle could do anything, Jareth vanished in a puff of gold dust. The two stood, dumbstruck before looking at one another. "_What _was _that?_"

"I'm not sure meself."

"What, no crystal? No Bog of Eternal Stench? Nothing!?"

"Hey, be thankful. He coulda just banished us to the Desert of the Banished."

"The what? That's not in there either."

"You really think that your sister saw the entire Labyrinth? Jareth's realm is much bigger than anyone knows." Hoggle moved into the corridor with the guards. "So? Which way?"

Toby looked at both doors and then gestured to the green door. He was finally beginning to understand that the Labyrinth was going to be more difficult than he had thought.

*Taken from the Labyrinth novel by A.C.H. Smith and Stephanie Massick


	9. Wild Like The Wind

Chapter eight: Wild Like The Wind

All of the doors were locked. Every single freaking one. For the last few hours, Sarah had been sitting on one of the couches in Jareth's bedroom, utterly bored. _You'd think that if you were going to hold someone prisoner, you'd at least go gloat or something._ She had gone through every unlocked drawer, every single bookshelf, trying to find something, anything at all, to occupy her frantic mind. Instead, it seemed she going to be stuck thinking of him. Or more so, the fact that he knew about her dreams. She was absolutely mortified that he knew; her dreams of him ranged from sweet to darkly erotic.

And if he knew that, she was screwed. He could use that fact against her, and then he would know how much power over her he actually had.

She laid back and sighed. She didn't want to see him again, ever, but especially when she was so... wrapped up in thoughts of him. She abruptly stood up and walked to the wardrobe. She had found it when she had been hunting for an exit. The thing was bigger than her room back at the apartment. Within the room there were two walls, one of women's clothes and one of men's. She found on the men's side she found plenty of the frilly poet shirts that _he _wore, a colorful selection of jackets and waistcoats, grey, white, and black tights, and all the pieces of his armor. She noticed absently that one of the shoulder pieces was missing.

On the woman's side, however, was the biggest selection of medieval style clothing Sarah had ever seen. There was dozens of dresses, ranging from bright colors to black. There was a set of skirts with matching blouses, all of which were frilly or made of leather. All of the shoes had heels, and there was possibly a hundred belts hanging from hooks. She opened a few drawers to find dozens of undergarments. Sarah felt as though she had walked into a shopping mall, a medieval one, but a shopping mall nonetheless.

She decided she might as well change out of her nightgown, unless she wanted to fight the Goblin King in her dress. She looked down the rack, but only one item caught her eyes. It was a beautiful white dress made up of multiple layers of skirts. The bodice was tucked into a lacey corset and had a slight ruffle across the top. The sleeves were short and ended in ruffles wrapped in thick ribbons. It had a set of matching white slippers and elbow length gloves.

She pulled it off the rack and headed back into the man room, laying it out on the bed. She removed her robe and tossed it next to the dress. He r nightgown barely reached the top of her thighs and had thin straps; she was, of course, not wearing much under it.

Which is why she was slightly relieved that Jareth had not waited another five seconds to make his appearance.

"Damn. I should have waited a bit longer." She spun around to find Jareth standing behind her, leaning against the doorway. He had changed his clothing again and was now in a ruffled white shirt open to mid chest layered with a black leather vest. He was, as always, wearing a pair of too- tight grey breaches tucked into tall riding boots. He was compulsively twirling his riding crop between his hands, an annoyingly sexy smirk on his face.

"Don't you knock?" Sarah crossed her arms defensively as a wave of desire hit her. She shifted uncomfortably as he stood up straight and walked closer to her.

"Why should I? These are _my _chambers, after all."He looked down at the dress that she had picked and gave a genuine smile, which floored Sarah and whatever comment she originally had intended to say. "I thought that you might like this dress, precious. It's very reminiscent of your ball gown, just a bit more casual." He used the handle of his riding crop to move the gloves off the hanger."I don't think that you will be needing these today, my dear. It's rather warm outside."

Sarah stood as still as a rock as Jareth put the gloves away in the wardrobe. She was in way too deep, and she knew it, but she didn't want to admit it. After all, wouldn't it just inflate his already enormous ego if she told him how much she really wanted him?

Author's note:

I apologize for not updating yesterday. I was at the hospital getting some testing done.


	10. You Kill Me (In A Good Way)

Chapter Nine: You Kill Me (In a Good Way)

Jareth walked into the wardrobe and took a shaky breath. His vision had darkened and he had been afraid that the Fae in him had been taking over. If he lost control, he would either force Sarah to his will, or he would grievously ham her.

Neither of which was a good way to start a relationship.

The need to be near her had been growing inside him ever since he had put her in his chambers, but it had taken a frustrating meeting with her brother to make him give in. Damn that Toby! He was every bit as stubborn as Sarah, and just as ignorant too. The boy should just realize that he could not win. While Jareth wouldn't interfere the way he had with Sarah, he certainly wouldn't make it easy for him, either. That just wouldn't be fun.

He took another breath and forced himself to calm down. He couldn't be- shouldn't be- so excited around Sarah. As much as he wished that he could just take her and make her his Queen, he had to be patient. It was good that Jareth had plenty of patience. He heard a rustling outside the door and could tell that Sarah was changing. He had a momentary desire to go out and help her undress, but squelched it when he remembered her aversion to his touch.

It almost hurt, the way she shrank back from him sometimes. He didn't want to cause her fear- but the Fae inside wanted to control her. The conflicting emotions made him insane around her, even when she was angry. He wanted to hold her and tell her that he loved her- and at the same time, he wanted to pin her down and show her how much power over her he _really_ had. He shook his head and listened carefully, hearing the whisper of fabric as Sarah pulled on the slippers.

He straightened his back and walked out of the wardrobe, just to lose his breath all over again. Sarah had always looked wonderful in white, but this was ridiculous. She had filled out as she had grown up, her hips widening slightly, her breast becoming rounder. She looked up at him from her seat on his bed and he felt his darkness return slightly.

"Jareth… My brother... Please send him home. I'll stay here, but only if you send him home."

He smiled and laughed haughtily. "Ah, Sarah, precious, I cannot send Toby home, not without his consent, and he is very determined to save you. You know, I never would have placed in the position of damsel in distress." He stepped closer to her, his heels clicking against the wooden floor.

"Jareth, please. He'll never be as lucky as I was. _Please._" He looked at the young woman and stopped walking. Her eyes were shinning with unshed tears and she was biting her lip nervously. He wanted to bit that lip, but not because he was nervous.

"Sarah, dear, the magic of the Labyrinth will not allow me to return a runner to his home without either his dreams or his failure. It does not enjoy defeat either. When you won, the castle, the Labyrinth, the garden… Everything fell apart. It took us a long time to rebuild. We still are not done with the castle." He sighed, looking away so he would not have to watch her tears.

Sarah stood up and walked up to the Goblin King. She still felt small next to him, intimidated by him, but she needed to get Toby home. She would do anything for her brother… even stay in the Underground for eternity. She grabbed one of his leather clad hands and wrapped both hands around it.

"Please. Isn't there anything you could do? Please, Jareth." The pleading tone in her voice made his heart skip a beat. He had wanted her to say his name like that for longer than he could remember, with that pleading, begging tone. But he had always imagined that she would be lying under him when she used it.

"Sarah… I really cannot." He wrapped his other hand around hers. He thought for a moment and smiled, "I think that I have something to occupy you with, though." He led her to one of the locked doors, and with a flourish of his hand, the doors flew open. Inside was one of the biggest libraries that Sarah had ever seen. There were sets of spiraling stairs so that she could reach the highest shelves, and there were so many books that she couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, wow… This is…"

"The amount of collecting that you can only do over the span of several lives. I know you love books, so… I'll leave this room unlocked for you." Jareth walked into the room and sat down in a large poufy chair, throwing his feet up onto the arm. He smiled lazily at Sarah, and for an instant she thought of a large wild cat.

"I really don't know that much about you… it's very disconcerting." Sarah sat down in a chair opposite him and frowned. She had once thought she understood him, but now… She felt as though she couldn't know _less_. If she was going to be stuck here with him reordering time, she was going to at least get to know him. While she fidgeted with the edge of her skirt, she said, "I'd like… maybe… if you could tell me about yourself. Please."

Jareth looked at her, struck dumb. She wanted to know about him? He didn't even know where to begin. His life was a blur of banquets and balls…. He felt slightly muddled as he thought about his past. It wasn't something that he did often. He ran a hand through his hair and sat up straight.

"What do you want to know?"

A/N: hungrypiranha : Thank you for your concern. That really made my day. Yes, I'm hoping that my tests come back negative and I end up having some wacky flu, but the scans all looked bad…

Further note

If anyone can recognize the names of my chapter titles, you get brownie points. XD


	11. Have Faith In Me

Chapter Ten: Have Faith In Me

Toby was about ready to tear his hair out. The walls kept moving, doors appeared out of nowhere… Hell, there wasn't even anything in the book to help him anymore. With every new obstacle, he felt as though he was losing more and more. The castle seemed further away than ever as he looked up at it from his spot. Hoggle stopped in front of him and watched sympathetically. The Labyrinth only allowed its denizen's safe passage, and even then you never went the same path.

"This is hopeless! How are we supposed to get to the castle if the walls never stay the same?! THIS ISN'TFAIR!"Toby kicked the wall in an uncontrollable rage. He turned to the other wall and banged his fist against it with a scream ripped straight from his soul.

"Hey! Don't be hittin' the Labyrinth! It has a mind'a its own!" Just as Hoggle finished speaking, the ground beneath Toby opened up and he fell into a dark sleep...

o0o

There was a massive pounding in Toby's head as he awoke, like someone had taken a stick of dynamite and blown his head open. Everything around him was black except for where light shinned through the grate overhead, and even that was dull and dim. He felt a strange moment of panic as he realized that he had no idea how much time had passed as he had laid unconscious. He let out a scream of frustration as he threw his head back onto the ground.

"Damn you, Jareth! Damn it all!" He had fallen into a trap, one that was obviously meant to entrap the runner until the allowed time had passed. Until he failed. Slowly, very slowly, Toby moved into a sitting position. A tear slipped unbidden down his cheek as he thought of Sarah. Never before in his entire life had he ever felt so abandoned, so lost, so alone. Not even when his parents had died...

He stood up and leaned against the wall of the tunnel for support. Almost mindlessly he moved further into the darkness. Toby had read far enough into the book to realize that he was in the oubliette, the underground tunnel system in the Labyrinth. He used his hands to guide him in the darkness, feeling his way past sharp jutting rocks and sink holes in the ground.

His hand brushed over something on the wall and he paused, hope soaring in his chest. He felt more carefully and finally decided he was feeling wood. Then his hand brushed over metal and he almost cried with joy; it was a door! He turned the handle and fell inside. The light inside this new tunnel was almost blinding compared to the previous darkness. He stood back up and glanced around slowly. In the corner of the far end was a hanging ladder. Toby walked over to it and gave it a hard tug. The ladder stayed in place and Toby began to climb up, heading to the light at the top.

He came out the top inside the Labyrinth and jumped out of the vase. All around him the walls were covered in ivy and various flowers. As he spun slowly around, he heard someone crying out. "Toby! Where are ya?" The voice was Hoggle's searching for him. He sounded close, but Toby was beginning to understand that you couldn't take anything for granted in a place like this.

"I'm here Hoggle!" Around the corner came the dwarf, followed closely behind by a small fox-like creature on a shaggy sheep dog (Merlin?).

"My lord, thank goodness you remain unharmed!" The small creature was dressed in what seemed to be a court jester's costume. His voice was high-pitched and almost annoying. As hopped off the dog, he waved a scepter in the air, "I am Sir Didymus, at your service!"

"Sir Didymus? I thought you guard the bridge?" Toby smiled gratefully as Hoggle and Sir Didymus helped him sit down on a stone nearby. He hung his head low as he tried to breath, but his head was hurting too much for him to do much of anything.

"Well, I went an' looked fer him after you's fell into the oubliette. I need help to find yous." Hoggle crossed his arms, as if daring Toby to say anything about this almost imperceptible act of kindness. Instead, Toby just smiled and stood up.

"Then I think we need to get going. We don't have long to find Ludo and save Sarah. And I'm going to need everyone for this." Toby finally understood one thing out of everything else; He didn't need Sarah… He could do this, as long as he had everyone by his side. He was going to find Sarah and save her from the Goblin King or he was going to fail trying. And if he failed, then it didn't mean he hadn't tried hard enough. If he failed, he would call on the Goblin King again and again until he beat the Labyrinth and got his sister back.


	12. No Problem

Chapter Eleven:No Problem

The wall stretched high into the air above them, the rope ladder looking even more unsteady and fragile with each passing moment. There was a wild sounding noise coming from the other side where the trees grew so far into the sky that they disappeared within the clouds, the pink and orange of the fires below turning the clouds the color of licorice. It would have been beautiful if it wasn't for the psychotic laughter that sent Toby's pulse skyrocketing. There were shouts and screeching sounds the likes of which he had only heard in his nightmares.

"Are you sure that Ludo is in there, Sir Didymus?" Toby swallowed hard at the fear that rose in his chest. This didn't seem like something that they should do, even if it was necessary. He reached into his back pocket and touched the book, remembering the scene that took place in this forest; the Fiery Forest. It was definitely somewhere he never wanted to go, even with Hoggle and sir Didymus at his side.

"Of course I'm sure, fellow knight! Arest thou in doubt of me?" He sat up straight on Ambrosia and looked up at Toby with his eyes wide. It took a lot of self-control for the teen not to laugh, but he managed to give just a smile to Sir Didymus.

"Not at all, I just don't want to go in there."

"Arest thou afraid of the forest?" Toby nodded at this statement, once again trying to swallow down his fear. He didn't want to encounter the Fieries…

"Well he has good reason. That place is dangerous, and if it wasn't for Sarah we wouldn't haf to even go in there!" Hoggle huffed at the two, his arms crossed angrily over his chest. He wasn't afraid to go in (liar), but he was a coward, unlike Toby and Sir Didymus. He shook his head at the duo as they walked up to the ladder and gave it a powerful tug.

"It seems solid enough!" Sir Didymus grabbed onto the rungs and began to climb the outer wall of the Labyrinth. Toby followed behind him, but at a much slower pace. Ambrosia ran off to find his own way across, but his master still called after him, "Ambrosia, you coward!"

Hoggle shook his head and hesitantly grabbed the ladder. He followed the others up just as slowly as Toby had, and once at the top, he pulled the ladder up and dropped it down the other side. It was then that they heard it. The loud and distinctive roar of their friend Ludo. "LUDO NO FIRE!"

This was followed closely by the laughter of several Fieries as they chased Ludo.

"Come on, red-monster-man! Take off your head!"

"Yeah, take that head off!"

"You can have a goood time with us, monster man!" Ludo came running into the clearing at the edge of the clearing, followed closely by a Fiery. It was a bit like a scrawny fox, with a long snout that opened very wide, and a bushy tail. Its fur was red-pink-purplish. It walked, or rather bounded, on two chicken like legs. Its staring eyes were blue, with red pupils. It had very long

fingers, which seemed to be perpetually drumming.*

Ludo let out a mighty howl, calling the rocks forth to help him. They piled up by the wall while a multitude of them rolled out of the forest and knocked the creatures down like dominos. They fell into pieces, limbs coming out of place and heads rolling away.

"Hey, mister, that ain't very nice!"

"That's his head, man!'

"Come on, red-monster-man, we just wanna party!"

Ludo began to climb up the rocks, but they kept slipping down. Toby looked at the creatures as they pulled themselves back together in strange combinations and made a decision. He grabbed the ladder and began to jump down. He came level to Ludo and stopped, burying a hand in the tough red fur on his arm. He grabbed on tight and tugged slightly, praying that this would work. He didn't know if he was strong enough to help Ludo climb the wall. "Ludo, tell the rocks to pile higher!"

Ludo let loose another howl, and the rocks beneath him began to climb higher. As Ludo rose higher, Toby climbed his ladder, keeping his hand in Ludo's fur, tugging him up with each step. His shoulder and arm were practically wretched out of place with each tug, his muscles burning with a fire that made Toby grit his teeth.

Soon, though not soon enough, they reached the top of the wall where Hoggle and Sir Didymus helped to pull the two up; and not a moment too soon, either, as the Fieries began to throw their heads up. Hoggle kicked at them until they began to scatter. "Stupid wild Fieries..." Hoggle muttered under his breath.

"Well, I was hoping the Fieries might get you, but my, how strong you are Toby!" Everyone spun around to see none other than Jareth standing on the wall of the Labyrinth next to them. He tapped his crop against his boot as he smiled at them, his expression eerily pleasant. Toby noted that yet again the Goblin King had changed his clothing. _Does this man ever wear the same thing twice?_ This time he was wearing a simple blue silk shirt opened to mid chest layered with a brown vest. His too-tight tan breeches were tucked into the same tall boot as always. Toby had a momentary thought about how ridiculous he would have looked in the clothes that Jareth wore with such an ease.

"Goblin King…" Toby looked into his mismatched eyes and fought the urge to run the other way. "How wonderful to see you again. Tell me, how many hours has it been since we last met?"

If Jareth noticed the sarcasm that dripped from Toby's words, he paid it no heed. "Why don't you see for yourself, my dear boy?" He waved his hand in a vague gesture to the same antique clock that had been on the tree at the beginning of the Labyrinth. The hands on the clock were set in position at six fifteen. "Hmm. You're doing much better than I had expected… but then again, my boy, I never expected much at all." Jareth took a few steps closer as the clock disappeared, "I'm actually here to tell you news of your sister."

Toby's heart skipped a beat and he lost sight for a moment. It didn't matter to him that he was half the size of the Goblin King; If he had harmed Sarah… Toby was going to hurt him. "What did you do to her?"

"Absolutely nothing. She's fine. She's getting a bit impatient, however, with waiting for you. You should just give up now and let her stay with me." There was a slight change in Jareth's tone, a softening, as he talked about Sarah, but Toby didn't catch it.

"Never. I'll never let you have her."

Jareth shook his head and stepped back off the wall, a cheery smile still in place. "Then you ought to hurry, Toby, before I decide to change the rules…"

A/N- hungrypiranha: Once again, thank you for your concern. Unfortunately, I was called back in for more tests this weekend. The doctors are very confuzzled at the moment, and I hope the extra tests will help... Also, you should get a profile. ^^

In addition, reviews are crack to me, so more more more!


	13. Done For You

Chapter Twelve: Done For You

Jareth was lounging in his throne, feeling more agitated then he had in quite some time. His conversation with Sarah had not gone well; in fact, he was pretty sure that he had ruined everything. Even though she had been the one who had started it, he was the one who felt like a complete ass. He summoned a few crystals and began to twirl them together. The throne room was seemingly empty, but that was because as stupid as the goblins were, they did know when to stay away. None of them enjoyed being kicked by Jareth.

The Goblin King could feel the anger building inside his chest until he threw the crystals across the room, watching them shatter as they hit the stone wall. He stood up and bean to pace across the floor, his heels clicking with each step. Then he stopped in the middle of the room and began to consider ways to apologize, despite it being all her fault.

o0o

_A few hours earlier_

Sarah looked into Jareth's mismatched eyes and paused, considering the best questions to ask him. She had so many… Like, for instance, what was he? Where was his family? How could he do all the things he did? What happened to the children? Who was he really? She picked the easiest of all the questions. "What, exactly, are you?"

"Well, that's easy. I'm a Fae." He responded with a devilish grin. "Is that a good enough answer for your curious mind, precious?" He leaned back into the soft cushioning of the couch and held back a chuckle as his Sarah gave him a look of frustration. He loved when she looked at him like that. He loved when she looked at him at all.

"I'm being serious, Jareth." Her eyes begged him to be serious, and so he was.

"As am I, my dear. I am Fae. By Fae, I do mean an immortal creature with the ability to use magic." Jareth threw his foot up onto the arm of the couch, his arms crossed behind his head. He thought for a moment and added as an afterthought, "Most of us dislike humans and believe that it is a good thing that there are separate realms."

"There are more of you?!" Sarah winced as she realized how he could have taken that slight outburst and she rephrased quickly, "I mean, there are others like you?"

"Yes, there are. The live in the different kingdoms. You see, my precious, the Goblin Kingdom is just one of many different kingdoms in the Underground. You have to pass through it to get to the Underground and to go back Aboveground." Sarah listened, completely stunned. She had always thought that Jareth was one of a kind, and that she had seen all of the Underground. _Nothing is what it seems here, even after so many years._

"What do you have to do as King?"

"Mostly I am the Protector of the Labyrinth. It is my job to keep it upright and running. My other duties include annual meetings, attending various events at other kingdoms, keeping the goblins from killing themselves and everything else..."

"What about the children?"

Jareth smiled and inclined his head ever so slightly, "Ah. I collect wished away children and give them to families that deserve them. Fae cannot easily have children of their own; there is a special bonding process and special ceremonies and so on that is required. Therefore, we save unwanted children from fates far worse." Jareth hesitated slightly before sighing. He had decided that he would never lie to her, not ever. "There is a condition. We only take children that were wished away by mothers and fathers."

"What do you mean? You took Toby when I wished him away! I'm not his mom!" Sarah sat straight up, her nails digging into the couch. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear his explanation for this.

"Yes... Well..." The Goblin King shifted uncomfortably, almost agitated, but Sarah wasn't quite done.

"And Toby isn't my parent either! What kind of game are you playing Jareth? Because this may be fun for you, but it's not fun for anyone else!"

"This is not a game, Sarah! I wanted to know you! I was tired of just watching you. Do you know how long I waited for you?!" Jareth shot to his feet, his hands clenched at his side as he fought against his inner Fae. His vision was clouding over, but he was just barely clinging to his sanity. "I have waited for three hundred years! Three hundred years! All that time alone, Sarah... do you know what that does to someone? And then you finally come along and you're still too young to understand anything!"

Sarah jumped up and glared at him, her green eyes burning with fire, but suspiciously shinny. "That's your excuse? You were lonely?! You put me through hell because you were lonely?! That's no excuse at all! Did you ever stop to think that maybe if you had just talked to me things might have been different?! But you just had to play your twisted game with me, didn't you? And that is why I'll never have anything but hate for you..."

Sarah pushed past him and ran out the door and back into his chambers, slamming the door shut behind her. Jareth let out an aggravated, pained shout and paced the room. He came up next to the stone wall and with another shout, he punched it with all his strength.

o0o

Sarah sat on Jareth's bed and cried. How often had she wished for something like this, where Jareth admitted to her his true feelings? But now that she knew the truth... She was never going to look at him the same. He had both her and her brother through a living hell, now twice over, just because he couldn't express his emotions. It almost surprised Sarah that he even _had_ emotions. What the hell was she going to do now?


	14. Wretched and Divine

Chapter Thirteen: Wretched and Divine

Sarah slowly opened the door to the library. She looked around, but there was no trace of Jareth; it was almost as if he had never been there at all.

And maybe he hadn't been. Maybe she was going crazy, maybe she was really back at home, maybe - No. Sarah shook her head and took a deep breath. She wasn't crazy and Jareth _had_ been here. Even if it didn't feel like that. She walked slowly through the room, moving toward the couch she had sat on earlier. She curled up against the arm of the couch and shivered violently, wishing that there was a fire going. As if the castle could read her thoughts, the fireplace roared into life spreading the much-needed warmth and light throughout the library.

Sarah smiled slightly and shook her head. She was sure that the castle hadn't read her thoughts - but Jareth was another matter. Hiding but still giving her whatever she wanted. She laughed shakily and looked up at the ceiling. "Thank you, Jareth." The fire sparked higher than returned to its earlier intensity. She pulled her knees up to her chest, or at least as close to her chest as her fluffy dress would allow her, and rested her head against her knees. At least she'd have a bit of time to think.

Why would Jareth break the rules and steal her away? It couldn't really have just been because he was lonely… maybe this really was a game to him, maybe he really did get some kind of sick thrill from forcing her and Toby to play his twisted game. That thought depressed her even further, so she tossed it out the window. Jareth might be cruel, but she knew he wasn't that bad. She smiled slightly; _he's too frilly to be evil._ There was a small tapping noise that caught her attention, causing her to look up.

o0o

Jareth stood still, waiting for his Sarah to speak. He wondered briefly when he had started to think of Sarah as his, but her smile blew every thought away. Why wasn't she screaming? Or… hitting him? She sat up and turned toward him, leaning against the arm of the couch.

Why wasn't she angry?

"Sarah?"

"Yes?" She looked up at him, her green eyes searing him, making him forget everything. He almost cursed out loud as he broke eye contact; what a wonderful time for the Fae within him to make itself known. "If you… It you're wondering why I'm not angry… I guess it's because I'm too sad to be angry." His eyes snapped back to her, searching her face, trying to find a lie within it. He didn't want her to be unhappy.

"I will not say I'm sorry, Sarah. I will ask for you to forgive me, however, and I hope you can find it within your heart to forgive me." He took a few steps closer to her, his inner Fae battling his rational mind for control. Neither half of his consciousness wanted to hear her speak of sadness or anger; however his rational mind would prefer her wrath to this. This silence.

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. It was fake, just like so many other things within the Labyrinth. "I'm not sure I can. At least, not until you tell me the truth. Why am I really here? Why me, when you could have chosen any girl in this world or the next." If it had been possible, he would have become even more somber with those words. He took a few more steps toward her, standing before her and kneeling. Her eyes watched every move, as though she thought that Jareth might make a move or strike out at her. He moved slowly, afraid to startle her, until he was on his knees looking up at her. His own mismatched eyes wandered over her, taking in her pale skin (Which, he thought briefly, had become even paler during her short time in his realm) and her dark, wild curls. He sighed softly before returning to her eyes. Those cruel, beautiful, magical eyes.

"I did not lie to you, Sarah. I have never lied to you, and I never will. Of that, I can assure you. I truly was lonely when I answered your call, when I answered Toby's call. But - as you have hinted at before - I did keep part of the truth from you. I don't want to scare you off, Sarah, my precious." He talked slowly, his voice shaking Sarah to her core. Just as it always had. "I have known you for longer than you will ever know, or ever believe. I… when I saw you for that first time, I was struck by the only emotion that has ever sat beyond my reach. I will tell you that part of everything that I do, it is done to be closer to you, my dear."

Sarah reached out and took one of his hands and stood, pulling him to his feet as she did. He looked down at her as she ran her fingers over the thin leather that covered his hands. He could feel her warmth radiating through it, warming him. She pulled at the leather, giving him time to stop her if he wanted to, but he didn't. It was time for her to know. She carefully pulled the leather off, revealing his hand. The skin was translucent, and through it she could see the thin bones of his hand. Her eyes had gone wide and she looked almost scared as she pressed her fingers to the center of his palm. Almost instantly, she jerked back as the magic in his hands shocked her.

"What… What was that?" She looked up at him, her brow furrowed.

"_That _is the magic of the Fae. Mine is concentrated in my hands. It's most convenient for battles, but very unpleasant during other activities." His voice was soft, as if he was still trying not to scare her. He took his glove back and covered his hand. For the first time in his long life, he actually cared about what her reaction to this would be.

"I'm sure it is." He looked up, slightly startled by her response. She was smiling, but in her eyes he could see both concern and mirth. He almost laughed from the joy of not seeing disgust or pity in her eyes, for that surely would have killed him. Her opinion mattered far too much to him, and that could be dangerous in the future, but for now he would bask in the wonder, in the love that was his thoughts fled as he leaned down and kissed her, much softer than he had the last few times. She was tense at first, but she relaxed against him, finally giving in.

At that point, he pulled back and really did laugh.

o0o

OKay, so I'm so sorry for being absent lately. I had three different thesis papers due, and I had to go to the doctor quite a lot. I'm supposed to be getting surgery over spring break, but my doctor changes his mind like he changes his socks. Let's hope for the best everyone! And remember, I am a review junkie! Give me some props, some critisicm, any comment you so desire!


	15. Take A Deep Breath

Chapter Fourteen: Take A Deep Breath

Toby was going to kill Jareth. At the moment, he didn't care that the Goblin King was over a foot taller and probably could burn him to a crispy consistency with just a snap of his fingers. He didn't care that he had never been in a fight, or that he had no idea if the Goblin King could even die. But he was sure as hell going to find out.

The present reason that he was plotting the Goblin King's demise?

That would be the Bog of Eternal Stench; the one that he, Sir Didymus, Hoggle, and Ludo were currently skirting. Toby was pretty sure that he had never smelt anything that bad in his whole life, nor would he ever smell anything that bad ever again. There were no words that he could use to describe it, and even if there were, he wouldn't be able to breathe the air to say them. The stench was so bad that you could taste it. For some odd reason, Sir Didymus did not seem to have a single problem breathing and chatting as he and Ambrosia led them down from the cliff and safely onto the ground.

"- As I am sure thy know, sire, thy lady sister collapsed the only bridge across the Bog, so we must make use of thy Lady's Crossing."

"Lady's Crossing?" Toby gasped and chocked on the rancid air. His eyes watered as he coughed, and he missed whatever Sir Didymus's reply was. He didn't need to hear it, though, because when he looked at where they had arrived, he knew exactly what Sir Didymus was referring to. There was a make-shift walkway, a set of stepping stones almost as big as Toby himself was. They protruded straight up out of the Bog, and Hoggle and Sir Didymus were already making their way across the rocks. Ludo followed close behind, but Toby hesitated. He wasn't quite sure why, but he didn't want to step on the rocks; maybe it was the sinking feeling in his stomach, or maybe it was his fear of slipping and falling into the stench.

"Sir Toby, we must make haste if we are to reach the castle within thy allotted time." Squeezing his eyes shut, Toby took a flying jump.

His feet never touched the stone.

~0~

He couldn't breathe. He was suffocating. No, not suffocating, _drowning._ Toby kicked his legs and floated up to the surface where he drew in a gasping breath. His chest and throat burned as he coughed up water. He swam to the edge and pulled himself onto the slopping ridge of the labyrinth's wall. Only after he had remembered how to breath did he look around; the only thing he was sure of was that he was no longer in the Bog.

All around him was water; A vast, vast expanse of water that seemed to completely hide the walls of the Labyrinth. Toby looked behind him and found that the walls slopped upward and rose out of the water. _At least I can get back into the Labyrinth_, he thought grimly. He stood precariously on the edge of the top of the wall, looking in the general direction of the Labyrinth on land. He took a few shaky steps before slipping and falling back into the frigid water. He kicked back to the surface and choked on the air. Reaching up, he yanked himself back up to the wall.

Toby sat still, shaking both from the cold air breezing over his water sodden clothes and from absolute fear. He was separated from both his sister and his new friends. He didn't know where he was anymore, and he had no idea how he had gotten himself stuck in this mess. He felt a few warm tears slide down his cheek as he looked out at the dark waters before him.

"Get away from the water, my boy. If you just sit there like that, I have no doubt that the monsters beneath the water will eat you, and then what will I tell your sister? Even I cannot bring back the dead." Toby looked over his shoulder at the Goblin King. With no warning, Toby was on his feet and in front of Jareth. The king felt a sharp pain in his jaw as Toby swung and connected solidly.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Toby pushed him, trying to knock him into the water. Instead, Jareth transformed and flew high into the air. As he did so, he paused and turned to look down at Toby. The was a slight tremor vibrating through the great stone walls, and Toby fell to his knees, holding on as tightly as his waning strength would allow. There was a moment of silence in which Toby raised his head to see that the Labyrinth's walls had been raised from the water. He looked to the sky, but Jareth was gone.

Toby stood on wobbly legs, and slowly, but most definitely surely, made his way toward the land.

~0~

Jareth sighed as he watched the young boy walking precariously across the walls of his beloved Labyrinth. The boy began to walk with more confidence as time flew by. He wondered if the boy knew he only had five hours left…


End file.
